The King's sword

“Blaaaaacksmith,” A voice haunted the air from a distance, then once again, a bit louder. “Blaaaaacksmith.” Ronan frowned, squinting across the moors. But no one could be seen. Ronan stuck his tongue into the air.

“It’s Diato.” Monty’s deep voice caused Ronan to start, nearly biting into his tongue. “He’s still miles away.” Ronan turned to find the dragon standing, fully alert. He hadn’t even heard the creature’s breathing change.

“He’s trying to goad me into a fight.” Ronan crossed his arms and turned his eyes back to the horizon.

“Blaaaaacksmith.” Diato’s voice moaned through the morning.

“It seems he has the same idea as you had.” Monty stretched his legs, causing his great silver scales to glitter in the rising sun. “He waits for his enemy to come to him.”

Ronan took a moment to admire the dragon. He truly was a magnificent beast. “Have you warned your kind about what is to happen?” Ronan asked when Monty yawned loudly. He eyed the dragon’s teeth, considering the damage they could do with one snap of his jaw.

“Blaaaaacksmith.” Diato was not going to give up.

“They know.” Monty nodded and glanced back at the huts. “Will you wake them now?” Yes. Ronan started. Ahearn. It had been Ahearn who had called for him to wake.

“It seems I must.” Ronan grinned back at the horse.

“May I do the honors?” Monty surprised him by asking. Ronan inclined his head for the dragon to do as he wished. Monty smiled and faced the horizon, resizing himself to his natural height. He drew back his head, taking a deep breath. Ronan instinctively put his hands over his ears.

The sound caused the earth to rumble so violently that Ronan went to his knee to keep from falling flat on his face. He closed his eyes and clamped his teeth together to keep them from clacking against one another.

When the dragon silenced, Ronan gave a little whoop and jumped to his feet, grinning. “I’ll bet that will quiet him down!”

Monty grinned viscously and nodded his large head. As those in the huts scrambled outside, Monty shrunk down to Ronan’s height again.

“What’s happening?” Ula shouted with alarm.

Ronan grinned back at her. “Monty sent Diato a little message.” Ula clutched at her chest and blew out a breath, glancing at Keegan and Bryan when they both frowned. Ronan’s eyes dropped to Arien to find his eyes still wide with evident fear. It had scared them all. He hoped that Diato was having the same reaction.

“I thought the dark forces were upon us,” Arien whispered. “Don’t ever do that again.”

“If he does, I will cut off his head,” Keegan said in a low voice.

“Where’s Fiona?” Ronan asked, still grinning, enjoying their reaction to Monty’s roar.

“We thought she with you.” Ula’s lips thinned with a frown.

Ronan shook his head. “She didn’t come to my hut last night. I assume she was still a bit angry with me for yesterday.” Ronan winced. “I acted irrationally and spoke sharply to her.”

Ula stared at him blankly. “She did not come to my hut either.”

“Nor ours,” Keegan supplied.

“Well where…” Ronan’s head snapped around and he stared at the horizon. No, she didn’t. She couldn’t have.

Yes, Ahearn answered.

“Well, why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Ronan faced the horse.

Too weak, Ahearn answered.

Ronan frowned. “Keegan, see to your horse. I believe he may be ill.” Ronan looked at Monty as Keegan turned and moved toward the horses, concern filling his eyes. “She went to Diato last night, to spare me a fight with him.”

“It would seem she did not succeed.” Monty tilted his head. “Would you like me to fly the distance and see what’s going on down there?”

Ronan nodded. “As quickly as you can.” Monty resized immediately, and then took off running. He glided into the air, his large wings flapping powerfully. Ronan stood watching until the dragon disappeared.

“Why didn’t she just listen to me?” Ronan growled.

“Maybe she meant to protect you,” Arien suggested.

Ronan’s hands fisted at his sides as hatred boiled within him. If Diato harmed Fiona in any way he would kill him.

“The horses are fine and ready to ride if you want to go after her,” Keegan called.

“We should plan the approach carefully,” Bryan added, tossing his hair over his shoulder. “He is expecting us to come after her. He already has a plan of his own.”

Ronan turned his eyes to the horizon, waiting for Monty to reappear.

This was his fault. If he hadn’t stupidly commanded Fiona not to fight, she wouldn’t have gone ahead. If something had happened to her it was his fault. Ronan frowned as Monty reappeared.

“She is alive,” The dragon told Ronan as he landed. “They have her captured in a mesh bag of some sort. It was obviously their plan to keep her in something she could see out of but could not escape by slithering from.”

Ronan let out his breath but his body trembled with rage.

“She also had a wound on her shoulder that looked like it was marked by Johran poison.” Monty shook his head. “I shall never understand the calloused cruelty of mankind.”

“You have not seen callousness yet.” Ronan’s voice vibrated with the anger he felt. “Get the horses ready.”

“Johran?” Ula repeated. “Not Yarro.”

“No,” Ronan answered fiercely.

“Even if your wizard had not joined his tribe, he has too much honor to betray anyone. His word is as strong as the King’s Sword you carry,” Monty added. “If he suspected what was happening here to one of his tribesman the moors would become a Johran battle ground.”

Ronan could hear the respect that the dragon had for Yarro in Monty’s voice. He’d suspected because they hunted one another’s kind that they would not share any other kind of relationship than sworn enemies but Ronan had heard a similar respect in Yarro’s voice as well when speaking of the Dragols.

“Mikel the Hort was playing with the spears at the Johran village,” Keegan said thoughtfully. “I had to tell him twice to leave the weapons alone.”

“No.” Bryan shook his head. “Not, Mikel.”

Arien looked heartbroken. “He kept asking all kinds of questions about the black tips. I thought he was just trying to figure out how to steal some in case we needed to fight.”

“Blaaaaacksmith.” When Diato’s voice traveled the distance, Monty turned and roared back at him again. Ronan’s ears rang with its force.

“Stop doing that!” Arien surprised Ronan by shouting as he rubbed at his ears.

“That means it was the changeling all along who betrayed us.” Keegan’s mouth set in a grim line. “I’d suspected him at first but he was always so afraid of me. I thought certainly he wouldn’t be capable of betrayal when he would almost urinate on himself if I even looked at him.”

“He didn’t strike me as an evil man,” Bryan said, obviously still convinced. “And we all had a look at that black powder poison at one time or another.”

“Blaaaaacksmith,” Diato interrupted again several of them groaned with irritation. Arien held up his hand and shook his head when Monty grinned back at the boy.

“Don’t,” Arien pleaded.

Ronan turned and lifted his voice. “I am coming for you, Diato!” His voice boomed along the moors and stillness followed.

“Not bad,” Monty offered with a grunt.

“I really don’t think Mikel the Hort is to blame for this,” Bryan continued but Ronan waved a hand impatiently in the air.

“We’ve no time for this. We have bigger problems to face right now. We can solve this later,” Ronan interrupted. Fiona was out there. He had to get to her. He had to make sure she was safe.

“What’s the plan?” Keegan asked, seeming to sense Ronan’s fear that they would not make it in time to save her if they lingered much longer.